G 0001/14 (Referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeal) of 19.11.2015

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:2015:G000114.20151119
Date of decision: 19 November 2015
Case number: G 0001/14
Referral: T 1553/13
Application number: 08716627.8
IPC class: F01N 3/035
F01N 3/28
F01N 13/18
Language of proceedings: DE
Distribution: A
Download and more information:
Decision text in EN (PDF, 17 KB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in: DE | EN | FR
Versions: OJ
Title of application: -
Applicant name: Tenneco GmbH
Opponent name: J. EBERSPÄCHER GMBH & CO. KG
Board: EBA
Headnote: -
Relevant legal provisions:
European Patent Convention Art 112(1)(a)
European Patent Convention R 126(1)
European Patent Convention R 126(2)
European Patent Convention R 126(4)
Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal Art 22(2)
Keywords: Admissibility of the referral of a point of law to the Enlarged Board of Appeal [no]
Rule 126(1) (as in force until 31 March 2015)
Catchwords:

1. If a board of appeal refers a point of law to the Enlarged Board under Article 112(1)(a) EPC, it is primarily up to the former to explain, in its referral decision, that – and why – it believes it needs an Enlarged Board ruling on the point arising in the case before it. This is also clear from Article 22(2), second sentence, RPBA, requiring the referring board to state the context in which the point originated.

2. In any event, the Enlarged Board must examine whether the referral fulfils the criteria of Article 112(1)(a) EPC (including that a "decision is required") and is thus admissible.

3. But if the referral is clearly the result of misapplying the law, and on a correct application an answer from the Enlarged Board is no longer necessary for the decision in the appeal proceedings, it is to be dismissed as inadmissible.

Cited decisions:
G 0003/98
G 0002/99
G 0002/03
Citing decisions:
G 0001/18
G 0002/19
T 0861/12
T 1704/12
T 1188/13
T 1553/13
T 0628/16
T 2136/16
T 2406/16
T 1897/17

21 references found.

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EPC Articles

EPC Implementing Rules

Offical Journal of the EPO

Case Law Book: III Amendments

Case Law Book: V Priority

Case Law of the Enlarged Board

General Case Law